A Toronto man died Wednesday after being dragged and trapped beneath his own van.

The incident occurred behind the victim’s house, in a laneway one block north of College between Brock Avenue and Margueretta Street, in the west end.

The 59-year-old man was in his green cargo van and towing a small utility trailer, backing up toward the north end of the laneway. The victim may have been backing up to allow a neighbor to pass him in the alley, which only has one open end, said Toronto Police Constable Hugh Smith.

“We believe his door was open as there was a small collision between the corner of the garage and his vehicle door. For whatever reason, he became dislodged or he fell out of the van. He was dragged a short-distance and ended up underneath his van.”

The man, who was declared dead at 6:18 a.m., sustained severe head injuries, but police have not determined whether they were caused by his head coming into contact with the wall or the ground when he fell.

It is possible he suffered a medical episode that caused him to fall from the vehicle while it was still in motion.

A neighbour who was headed north at the time was witness to the incident.